Post-Wax Body Care Kit – August Product Feature 2011

The Star Brows Blog  Has Moved Please Visit this Link for the Post on the New Site.

 Summer means showing more skin, and we want it smooth and hair-free, right?! But don’t go to the Spa and get a bikini or Brazilian wax unless you have a plan for after-care. Otherwise, you may end up miserable, with bumps and ingrown hairs – Ouch! Not pretty.

The Monthly Product Feature for August is the Post-Wax Body Care Kit which includes Tu’el Clear-It Blemish Control, Tu’el De-tox Bath Gel, and FREE Pumice Gloves. These products keep the skin exfoliated between waxing services, help prevent ingrown hair and leave the skin feeling soft and smooth.

If you’ve never had this service or would like a refresher course on how to get the best outcome, check out these two popular posts: Ladies: 10 Reasons Why Brazilian Waxing is Worth It and Post-Waxing Care for Brazilians and Bikinis.

If you’re new to Star Brows, you may not know about The Monthly Product Feature or Rewards yet. To put it simply, 10% of all your product purchases, all the time, go toward free Service Enhancements like Raindrop Therapy, Lash Tint, Chemical Peels, or Star Massage.

When a product is the Monthly Feature, however, you’ll get 20% back in Rewards.

This month’s featured products are: 2 oz. Clear-It Blemish Control $39 ($8 in Rewards) and 8 oz. De-Tox Bath Gel $24 ($5 in Rewards).

The Post-Wax Bodycare Kit includes both products: $63 ($13 Rewards) plus FREE nylon Pumice Gloves. Smooth summer skin guaranteed. 🙂

See you at the new spa!

The New Spa in Grover Beach Open For Mother’s Day

The Star Brows Blog  Has Moved Please Visit this Link for the Post on the New Site. 

I started my dream business, Star Brows, in Arroyo Grande California four years ago, specializing in a unique “brow graphing” technique, which I developed at my Minnesota spa. Due to the success and popularity of that technique, I needed to expand, and now have a new home! Everything you know and love about Star Brows will stay the same, but better – I hope you’ll agree!

On April 15th I moved my eyebrow couture, skincare, massage, and body waxing spa to 1065 West Grand Avenue to Grover Beach (Shangri-La!) and have created a luxurious spa setting that I know you will love.

Originally, I really wanted to stay in AG, but then I found this amazing space with great exposure and plenty of room to grow. It’s across from Miners in Grover Beach. This location really fits my “brand.” You will truly feel like the star you are when you’re there. I wanted to create a more spa-like atmosphere so you could enjoy the full array of Star Brows services.

I’ve added two private treatment rooms with sound-proof walls and solid core doors :), a casual and open feeling makeup and waxing lounge, and an serene waiting area – and we’re closer to the beach! Who could ask for more? I’ll be posting pictures soon.

But, like any dream, there have been (and are) hurdles to overcome. In the end, though, it’s all worth it. I hope this encourages you to follow your dreams too. Turning dreams into reality takes guts, a lot of hard work, optimism, help from those who support you (thank you all!), and a generous pinch of the miraculous!

Next Sunday is Mother’s Day, and I am poised to help you celebrate. Hmmm, what would you really like? I come from a background of providing fabulous spa experiences, and now that I have the space and the environment for it, I’d like treat you.

Here is a sneak peek of a spa experience created to celebrate mom’s day, or “just because” – at the new location – offered for a limited time:

Spa Facial and Massage Treatment

Arrive a couple of minutes early so you can get settled and relax for a few minutes in the quiet environment of the new spa, and plan on staying for about an hour and a half.

When you enter the treatment room you will feel the warm air provided by state-of-the-art radiant heat. You’ll smell calming essential oils and be enveloped by the soft candlelight.

As you climb under crisp, clean, warmed sheets your body’s curves will be cradled by special contoured cushions.

Detoxifying and de-stressing drops of essential oils will be applied along your spine (Raindrop Therapy), to coax your body into a state of bliss and calm, followed by a back massage given at just the right pressure for you. When the knots are eased, you turn over and the Star Massage begins with Tu’el’s Cleansing Oils and Herbalizers chosen for your skin type. Puffiness, sinus pressure, jaw tension and all signs of stress dissipate from your face, neck and should – mmm, who knew it could feel this good?

Now the facial begins with warmed towels, gentle steam, and special masks and scrubs designed to alleviate your skin’s concerns.

And don’t forget those hard working hands and feet. They will be meticulously worked out, every finger and every toe rubbed until they are eased. Your feet will be wrapped in warm towel-like booties and a little Craniosacral work will be done to balance your body’s rhythms.

Later, plan on relaxing and drinking plenty of water with slices of organic lemons to complete a perfect experience.

Who knew Star Brows was about more than eyebrow couture? Now’s your chance to see! Limited spaces are available for this special offer, so call now – 805-722-8222  – and mention the Mother’s Day Spa Special. It’s not on the menu and is specially priced at $99. It expires on May 12^th, but you can get a Gift Certificate for the service and use it anytime!

See you at the new spa!

Eye Plus and Glorious Gold – April Product Features 2011

I have a friend, Mike Taylor, who inspires me with his generosity and imagination. He is a humanitarian, philanthropist, and he just started a company and completely new concept called Responsible Referrals – check it out!

It is in this spirit of service that I bring you, my valued clients, these specials, called Rewards. I hope you take advantage of these Monthly Specials, because not only are they each specially chosen by me for you, but they earn you free spa services!

This month’s focus is on the eyes and how to care for the delicate tissue around them.

Eye Plus Lotion is a powerful blend of technologically advanced ingredients. This lightweight lotion helps prevent the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and other signs of aging around the delicate eye area. Eye Plus has a multi-tasking formula that helps moisturize, condition, re-plump, and relieve puffiness.

Key ingredients: Anise Oil (Fennel) – which soothes, moisturizes, and conditions – and Vitamin E to  moisturize and add antioxidant protection

Glorious Gold is simply one of the best products offered by Tu’eL Skin Care.  It offers a wide range of solutions to various skin conditions. This lightweight gel is perfect for mature skin that needs to look smoother, more luminous, and more refreshed. It is specially formulated to soften the appearance of fine lines, while firming skin, and is a perfect day and nighttime treatment. Glorious Gold visibly reduces dark spots, age spots, and hyper-pigmentation due to sun damage, past acne, and scarring. It also minimizes darkness around the eyes, helping to restore a brighter radiance. The antioxidants in the formula fight free radicals to reduce the signs of aging and protect against future wrinkling. Glorious Gold can be used on all skin types and conditions.

Key ingredients: Arbutin, Bearberry, Licorice, and Blackberry (to lighten discolored skin), Wild Thyme and Lupin Extract (for firming and toning), Ginkgo Biloba Extract (to increase circulation, fight free radicals, and improve oil production), and Hyaluronic Acid (underwear ingredient!) for superior hydration

If you’re new to Star Brows, you may not know about The Product Feature or Rewards yet. To put it simply, 10% of all your product purchases, all the time, go toward free Service Enhancements, like Raindrop Therapy, Lash Tint, Chemical Peels, or Star Massage.

When a product is the Monthly Feature, however, you’ll get 20% back in Rewards! This month’s feature, Eye Plus Lotion, is $43. That means $9 toward a service Enhancement. Glorious Gold Eye and Lip Gel, which is $80, give you $16 in Rewards!

See you at the new spa!

Tu’el Moisturizing Face Creams – March Product Features 2011

The Star Brows Blog  Has Moved Please Visit this Link for the Post on the New Site. 

The lovelies at Eva’s Esthetics offered a special yesterday on their creams, so I thought I would “pay it forward.” Here is an educational video about the creams offered, from Tu’el’s President Lori Nestore.

The Product Feature this month will help get your skin ready for summer! There are four creams for four different skin types in the Tu’el line: Vitamin, Chamomile, Lipo-Gen, and Regeneration.

Vitamin Cream– a protective cream with Vitamins E, A, and B to lubricate and seal in moisture for dry skin

Chamomile Cream – a soothing, healing, day and night cream for dry, product-reactive skin

Lipo-Gen – a revitalizing lotion with a deep liposome delivery system to help calm and heal combination, oily, or impure skin

Regeneration Cream– a rich concentrated cream with antioxidants and vitamins to rejuvenate mature and/or sun damaged skin

Many skin care products you find on the market today contain chemicals that can be harmful to your skin. Alcohols, dioxane, parabens, mineral oils, phenol (carbolic acid), and artificial fragrance are very commonly used in today’s skin care products. Experts warn against long-term exposure to these chemicals as it could lead to health problems. Our government doesn’t regulate the use of these chemicals either. Check out www.safecosmetics.org for more information.

Wrinkles and dehydration may appear at any age, which is why  caring for your skin needs to start early. There are different ways to help prevent the appearance of wrinkles, but first you need to know what caused them to appear so you can effect a lasting change. Some possible triggers are overexposure to the sun, stress, depression, poor diet, smoking, excessive drinking of alcoholic beverages, and poor skin care regimen.

One of my favorite ways to treat my skin is facial massage. That’s why I developed my award-winning service, Star Massage. And, in Facial Treatments like the Spa Facial, you not only get head, neck, shoulder, and face massage, but your hands, arms, feet, and legs as well!

But, you can do facial massage at home too. Massage improves blood and oxygen circulation, which prevents the clogging of pores. It also relieves stress and tension within that contribute to the appearance of wrinkles.

Massaging the face with the appropriate face cream for your skin type will tighten the skin’s tissues, improving elasticity, building collagen, and relaxing the muscles of the face. What’s great about facial massage is that as it exfoliates it allows moisturizers, essential oils, and serums to penetrate more easily.

Start massaging the face from the neck upward and end at the forehead or temples to improve blood circulation through the veins, tissues, and lymph vessels of the face. Begin slowly, using little circles, and vary speed and pressure as you work, stopping to focus on pressure points and making up massage techniques as you go that feel good to you.

Facial massage offers many benefits in addition to preventing wrinkles. Try it now and see how it works on your skin. It will give you a glowing complexion.

If you’re new to Star Brows, you may not know about The Product Feature or Rewards yet. To put it simply, 10% of all your product purchases, all the time, go toward free Service Enhancements, like Raindrop Therapy, Lash Tint, Chemical Peels, or Star Massage.

When a product is the Monthly Feature, however, you’ll get 20% back in Rewards! This month’s Product Features, Chamomile and Vitamin Creams, are $41, so that’s $8 in Rewards. Lip0-Gen and Regeneration Creams are $63, and that means $12 toward a Service Enhancement.

See you at the spa!

Essential Oil Synergy Blends

The Star Brows Blog  Has Moved Please Visit this Link for the Post on the New Site. 

I have been using essential oils at home as medicine since I had my first baby (30 years ago)!

So, when I started my first skincare business, I fell in love with Eva’s Esthetics Essential Oil Blends and the company, many of whose products are plant-based.

As anyone who has had a service with me knows, I use essential oils in every single service I do.

Until now however, these proprietary blends have only been available to you by special order. I’m proud to announce that they are now in the product line-up at Star Brows!

What is an essential oil?

Essential Oils are made primarily of terpenoid compounds, which are volatile and can be readily absorbed through penetration, inhalation, and skin permeation. These oils are stored in the outer part of the plant so when you “crack” the skin of an orange the smell is released, or when you break an aloe plant leaf the serum oozes. Essential Oils are volatile, evaporating when exposed to air.

Essential Oils help to protect the skin barrier function and also retain moisture, regulate capillaries, eliminate waste matter and dead cells, promote regeneration, and tone skin cells.

Eva’s Esthetics Synergy Blends complement each skin type within each line and are formulated to achieve a specific therapeutic result. The retail size is 15% pure essential oil. ½ oz. $30

Vitamin Essential Oil: Formulated for dry, small-pored skin.

What’s in it? Lavender, Bergamot, Mint, Rose, Rose Geranium, Rosemary, Grape Seed Oil

Azulene Essential Oil: Formulated for combination to oily, large-pored skin.

What’s in it? Lavender, German Chamomile, Bergamot, Cypress, Eucalyptus Radiata, Lemon Grass, Palma Rosa, Ylang Ylang, Grape Seed Oil

Purifying Essential Oil: Formulated for acne-prone skin with any size pore.

What’s in it? Spike Lavender, Bergamot, Tea Tree, Rose Geranium, Lemon, Atlas Cedar, Palma Rosa, Grape Seed Oil

Chamomile Essential Oil: For dry, small-pored skin that is “product sensitive”.

What’s in it? Lavender, Rose Geranium, Roman Chamomile, Copal, Frankincense, Helichrysum, Grape Seed Oil

Regenerative Essential Oil: For mature skin of any type or pore size.

What’s in it? Cypress, Rosewood, Carrot Seed, Marjoram, Vetiver, Lavender, Apricot, and Avocado Oil

The results you’ll get from using these oils at home will amaze you, and I know you will love them as much as I do.

See you at the spa!

Clear-it and Peeling Cream – February Product Features 2011

The Star Brows Blog  Has Moved Please Visit this Link for the Post on the New Site. 

Valentine’s Day and Brazilian Waxing inspired February’s Monthly Product Features: Peeling Cream and Clear-It.

If you’ve never tried Brazilian, or Bikini Waxing, now is a great time. The Product Features this month are the after-care for these services to help avoid those pesky bumps and ingrown hairs.

I use the same Berins French Depilatory Wax for sensitive body parts that I use for brows. If you’ve had a bad experience using strip wax, you’ll be amazed at the difference. Check out the YouTube testimonial a client did for body waxing at Star Brows.

The special this month, Peeling Cream by Tu’el, is a great exfoliant for the face, as well.  It contains Lactic Acid (an alpha hydroxy acid or AHA), so it doesn’t just clear surface debris but goes gently and deeply into the cell wall to exfoliate.

It also contains Tea Tree and Lemon Grass Oils to disinfect naturally, as well as Chamomile Extract to calm and sooth.

Clear-it by Tu’el is a non-drying blemish control cream that helps keep hair follicles healthy after shaving or waxing. The active ingredient is Colloidal Sulphur. It also contains Allantoin for calming and soothing and Lemon Oil for disinfecting.

If you’re new to Star Brows, you may not know about The Product Feature or Rewards yet. To put it simply, 10% of all your product purchases, all the time, go toward free Service Enhancements, like Raindrop Therapy, Lash Tint, Chemical Peels, or Star Massage.

When a product is the Monthly Feature, however, you’ll get 20% back in Rewards! This month’s feature, Peeling Cream, is $34. That means $7 toward a service Enhancement. Clear-It, which is $39, gives you $8 in Rewards.

See you at the spa!

My 4 Favorite Bodycare Products for Dry Winter Skin

The Star Brows Blog  Has Moved Please Visit this Link for the Post on the New Site. 

This time of year, it gets dark so early and has been so cold lately – even in California! I just want to snuggle up in my PJs and one of the afghans mom made me and read a book as soon as I get home from work.

But before “I in my cap settle down for a long winter’s nap,” I need to get my bedtime beauty rituals done.

You know the drill. My dad used to call it “wash, brush, and comb”! I wish it were that fast and easy, but I do love being a woman…in the beauty business. Still, as I’ve said before, “Faut souffrir pour être belle”:  One must suffer to be beautiful.

Here are my 4 bootylicious bodycare favorites;

1. De-Tox Bath Gel by Tu’el is a refreshing, stimulating eucalyptus-scented gel for bath and shower that tones, cleanses, and exfoliates skin tissue. It’s invigorating, fresh, and very “spa feeling”.

2. Hydrating  Body Tonic by Tu’el is a toning liquid that helps retain your body’s natural moisture and improves skin elasticity. It’s essential to capture and retain your own body’s natural moisture after a dehydrating hot shower or bath.

3. Hempz Body Lotion by Supre is enriched with 100% Pure Organic Hemp Seed Oil and blended with natural extracts to provide dramatic skin hydration and nourishment and help improve the health and condition of skin. Use this over Hydrating Body Tonic. Men and women like the smell too – choose from Pomegranate or Original.

4. Smooth by OPI is a deep-penetrating, alpha hydroxy acid treatment for the feet that softens calluses while you sleep.

Good bye dry winter skin!

See you at the spa!

Glyco-A Gel and Crystal C Serum – January Product Features 2011

Is your skin feeling tired, dull, and out of balance? Winter is the best time of year to work on your complexion: UV rays are low, you’re outside less, and if you’re like me – because of the long nights – you are resting more.

I’ve chosen two exfoliating products by Tu’el for the January Product Feature. They both contain Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs) and provide amazing results when used together:

Glyco-A Gel is a 10% Glycolic Acid solution which improves the skin’s appearance and texture. It helps reduce wrinkles, acne scarring, and hyper-pigmentation and improves many other skin conditions.  AHAs weaken the binding properties of the lipids that hold the dead skin cells together, allowing the skin to be exfoliated, exposing live skin cells, and stimulating new cell growth.

Crystal C Serum is a healthy-aging and antioxidant Vitamin C serum that acts as a free radical scavenger, helps reverse and prevent sun damage, and improves skin firmness.

Made with the only stable form of Vitamin C, along with Lactic and Malic Acids, this fabulous serum will change your skin! Vitamin C  is great to use under your sun block for natural extra protection as well.

What’s in Crystal C Serum?

Purified Water, Lactic Acid, Citric Acid, Malic Acid, Green Tea Extract, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Hydroxyethylcellose, Propylene Glycol, Superoxide Dismutase, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate, L-Tyrosine, Sodium Citrate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate. 1 oz.

If you’re new to Star Brows, you may not know about The Product Feature or Rewards yet. To put it simply, 10% of all your product purchases all the time, go toward free Service Enhancements , like Raindrop Therapy, Lash Tint, Chemical Peels, or Star Massage.

When a product is the Monthly Feature however, you’ll get 20% back in Rewards! This month’s feature, Crystal C Serum, is $57 – that means $11 toward a service Enhancement – and Glyco-A Gel, which is $31, gives you $6 in Rewards.

See you at the spa!

Photo: Vintage Vogue

New Years Eve Makeup 2011!

Unfortunately my “pre-bash massage” was just cancelled – dang 😦 – so I’m writing an NYE makeup post instead!

Happy New Year’s party preparations to all of you! I’m getting ready for The Golden Era event at my father’s winery. I want to look my best, and I want you to look your best too – even if you’re not planning to go out for NYE! Here are eight steps to a flawless look:

1. Exfoliate – Perfect makeup requires well-tended skin. A week to a couple of days before the big night start doing masks, peels, and scrubs. The Cleansing Oil is also an excellent way to polish, exfoliate, and brighten your skin: Do a 20-minute massage with it instead of the normal quick cleanse. (Did you know the Cleansing Oil takes off makeup really well? Buh-bye makeup dissolver.)

Of course, hopefully you have consulted a skincare professional about what products are best for your skin. If you trust your exfoliant not to cause a breakout or irritate your skin, using one even the night before will help your skin look radiant.

My picks: Gyco-A Gel, Crystal C Serum and Peeling Cream. Just so happens two of these are January’s Product Feature with Double Rewards!

2. Moisturize – Those of you who read my blog regularly know that when you discipline the skin, you also need to use plenty of TLC. Moisturize the entire face, neck, and décolleté, as well as the eye area. Even oily and acne-prone skin types need moisturizer. Your makeup will look so much better if your skin is well hydrated.

My picks: Hy-Drate, Vitamin Cream, Chamomile, Eye Plus Cream, Lipo-Gen.

3. Prime – Every great artist knows that preparing the canvas is key. Getting the skin ready for the application of cosmetics makes the finished product look so much better. Absorb Oil Control is perfect for oily and acne-prone skin: It is an oil controller and hydrator in one. Mineral Primer will fill in the fine lines and imperfections and make your foundation last. Use Concealer around the eye area.

4. Apply Foundation – Mineral Makeup is my favorite for your base. Use a small brush for extra coverage in the areas that need it. Use a darker color to contour, like the hollows of your cheeks or the sides of your nose. Contour the eyes with shades of brown, especially if you have droopy lids. (Remember: dark recedes, light brings forward.) Highlighter under the brow bone accentuates the arch. I carry BDB Duo Concealer: it’s a pencil with concealer on one end and highlighter on the other – another “twofer”!

5. Add Color – Glitter (small particles, used sparingly) is a hot look for NYE. Aging skin doesn’t do well with glitter though. I personally like the Youngblood Mineral Makeup in the color Sunglow for sparkle and pop. Blush should be applied to the apple of the cheek only if you have a very thin and long face, so you can create width. If your face is round, apply blush on the cheek starting at the edge of the iris and swooping up to the temples and into the hairline.

Shadow color can be added next. Remember: if you are playing up the eyes, go easy on the lips, and vice versa.

6. Lashes – Right now I am playing with and loving LashSense One Step by SeneGence. It is a lash growth and conditioning product and mascara. And of course I must have my beloved

Blackout Mineral Mascara by Youngblood. I always use two mascaras. I find I get the best lashes that way. Lash Primer is also excellent for extra volume and conditioning. For those of us who need to curl our lashes, I like the MAC curler best.

7. Lips – Bright and bold is on trend for both NYE and spring 2011. You know I am partial to LipSense long-lasting lipcolor!  I’ll be wearing Plum as a base, then Brick, and the top coat will be Neutral. Because this lipcolor is applied in 3 coats, I played on my hand to find a color that matched my shoes. (Check them out: They are comfy with leather uppers – Ross!) You can create any color you want when you have the basic Lipsense colors.

As an alternative, I like recommending a lip pencil and plumping colored gloss – both by Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics.

8. Eyebrows – Getting the right shape requires professional help – at least to get you started, at best for maintenance. You’re not stuck with the eyebrows you have: You can create the perfect brows at home.  How? If you have thinning brows, start using Brow Boost right away. All the Billion Dollar Brows products rock! Cosmetics for creating the perfect eyebrows – like pencils, powders, and brow-setting gel – will transform blah brows to bomb brows!

See you at the spa!

Hempz Body Lotion – December Product Feature 2010

I came up with the Product Feature for this month because it makes a great gift – and you get spa service dollars for yourself! Men and women alike love this lotion. Among beauty professionals, it is the biggest selling body lotion on the market to date.

Introducing Hempz Body Lotion: this herbal body moisturizer is enriched with 100% Pure Organic Hemp Seed Oil and blended with natural extracts to provide dramatic skin hydration and nourishment to help improve the health and condition of skin.

Hemp seed oil is one of nature’s richest sources of essential fatty acids and key amino acids, containing natural proteins, vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals vital for healthy skin conditioning.

I’ve carried Hempz Original Lotion for many years; you are guaranteed to love it. 17 oz. pump $23

At Christmas I also carry the stocking-stuffer size, it’s darling and oh so purse-sized.;) 2.5 oz. $4.50

If you’re new to Star Brows, you may not know about The Product Feature or Rewards yet. To put it simply, 10% of all of your product purchases go toward free

Service Enhancements , like Raindrop Therapy, Deep Muscle Work, Chemical Peels, or Star Massage.

When the product is the Monthly Feature, you’ll get a whopping 20% back in Rewards! This month’s feature, Hempz Body Lotion, is $23 – that means $5 toward a free service Enhancement. Hurry though, supplies are limited.

See you at the spa!